CORRESPONDENCE GLEANINGS. 117 



was destroyed ; the same year, however, I found it sparingly on 

 another oak near to the original station, and here I saw it, still 

 growing sparingly, a few days since. It was a very pleasing sight to 

 me to see quite an abundance of this rare plant in the Coventry 

 wood, and as this wood is a strictly preserved one, the plant bids fair 

 to be preserved also. I may mention that in habit this moss is not 

 unlike Weissia cirrhata, growing in cushion-like tufts (always barren, 

 however) on the roots of trees. W. cirrhata would be found higher up 

 on the trunk or branches ; this moss, evidently requiring more 

 moisture, selects the roots. At first glance, it is very like W. cirrhata, 

 but is softer to the touch, and has more strongly cirrhate leaves, when 

 dry, than that moss. Under the microscope it is vastly different, 

 having plane-margined leaves, strongly papillose, and toothed on the back 

 of the nerve. I think it increases much like Campylopus fragilis, that 

 is by the falling off of small leafy buds, as I noticed that these were 

 abundantly scattered among some of the tufts I gathered. — J. E. 

 Bagnall. — 



Earthquakes. — As the process of geological mapping extends, it is 

 found that earthquake disturbances occur almost exclusively along 

 great faults or lines of dislocation of the strata. 



National Museums. — The new Natural History Museum, at South 

 Kensington, was opened (in part) to the public on Easter Monday, 

 April 18th. We hope shortly to describe it in a separate article. 



In the Press. — As three forthcoming books of interest to our readers 

 we may mention Mr. John Evans' " Bronze Implements, &c, of Great 

 Britain ;" Mr. J. E. Lee's "Note-book of an Amateur Geologist ;" and 

 Dr. Darwin's " Action of Earth-worms on the Soil." 



A Bird Book. — Dr. H. E. Dresser's great work on the "Birds of 

 Europe " is now complete ; it includes 5,000 pp. of letterpress and 

 above 600 hand-coloured plates. It has been published by subscription, 

 but a few copies are offered to the public at the price of fifty guineas 

 each. 



Marine Excursion. — The Birmingham Natural History and Micro- 

 scopical Society have appointed a committee to arrange for then- 

 Marine Excursion this summer to be made to Oban. The quiet 

 sheltered sea in that neighbourhood offers excellent facilities for 

 dredging operations, and some very interesting specimens may be 

 looked for not frequently met with on other coasts, notably Terebra- 

 tula, Virgularia and Corals. The magnificent scenery of the Kyles of 

 Bute, the Pass of Glencoe, the Islands of Staffa, Iona, Skye, &c, 

 will no doubt prove exceedingly attractive to the excursionists. The 

 arrangements will be much the same as on the occasion of the excur- 

 sion to Falmouth the year before last. Each member joining the 

 excursion will contribute about £5 to a common fund to defray 

 travelling and all incidental expenses. This sum will entitle him to a 

 first-class railway ticket to and fro, and a seat in the steam yacht for 

 dredging, or to a carriage ride daily if he prefers it. The hotel expenses 

 will be on a tariff to be agreed upon, and will be defrayed by each 

 member personally. The time fixed for the excursion will be about 

 the first week in July, and the period of stay about ten days. Members 

 of the Midland Union desirous of joining the excursion should send in 

 their names without delay to Mr. John Morley, Hon. Sec, Sherborne 

 Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham. 



